Gary Novosielski

Do your bylaws state that you use an agenda?

Not if it's in the bylaws. And it's typically violated by every stock corporation and homeowners association.

Yes, they will, in fact I was among those who previously noted it, back here.

I'm not sure who "they" are. If it's your membership, then they're free to do what they like. If you want to change how they operate, you'll need to get a majority (or in this case I guess two-thirds) to agree with you. There are addenda in RONR with suggested rules for electronic meetings. If your organization feels that there is no harm (and I don't disagree) then all they have to do is adopt some of those rules.

They do indeed.

I'm sure all of us here are familiar with that rule, but since your bylaws supersede any conflicting rules in RONR, that rule has no application to your situation.

You would need to amend the bylaws. Violating them is not an option.

Are you aware that the Americans With Disabilities Act is a law passed by a group of (mostly) healthy people who voted on whether it should become law? We in this forum are not the ones who decided what is or is not contained in the Act. If it does not protect people with disabilities to the extent you think it should, you should address your ire to Congress. In my response I mentioned two courses of action open to you: one if you wanted to comply with the ADA to the minimum requirement, and another if you wished to take a more expansive view of the accommodations you wish to afford to members. I left the choice up to you, so I'm surprised you ignored the second option. Both options remain open to you, and RONR will not stand in your way in either case. And if you cannot get a bylaws amendment passed by your membership, then you need to take it up with them. Don't shoot the messenger.

Well, no. But if they're submitted in writing, which would be typical, and given to the secretary, they would need to have the name of the mover, so they can be identified when it's time to move them. If you're referring to a certified copy of an adopted resolution, it would contain a statement signed by the secretary, certifying that the copy is correct, and that it was adopted at a properly called or regular meeting at which a quorum was present. What prompted the question?

Well, none of the arguments on either side belong in the minutes. The maker of a motion, the text of the motion, and the result of the vote or other disposition are all that belong there. You can say that it was debated but not the contents of the debate. If you're trying to include who said what, that's why it takes you hours to write them up. The minutes are a record of what was done, not what was said.

You consult a lawyer to confirm exactly what the law requires. If the ADA actually does contain rules of parliamentary procedure that require allowing virtual attendance of meetings of societies like yours (which seems unlikely) then you need to allow it. And of course if you want to allow it in any case, you amend your bylaws to permit virtual attendance and provide for the rule changes that are needed as a consequence.

I'd recommend against it unless there is a clear need to do so, peculiar to your type of organization. And frankly not even then. If it's a question of timing, amend the time requirement. The bylaws are where you put things that you don't want to be suspended. Of course the fact that the bylaws were improperly suspended in the past does not amount to a license to continue to violate them. This holds no more weight than a kid saying "But Ma, all the other kids are doing it!"

My remarks were made presuming that your group is subject to "Sunshine Laws" because that is a common provision. @Josh Martin rightfully points out that this is not a rule in RONR. In some states, Open Public Meeting Laws provide that a quorum of group members can't even share a ride together or attend a backyard barbecue without it becoming a Meeting. In some cases the regulations explicitly exempt a gathering of members from a variety of municipalities who attending the same event. Your attorney can advise you of the details that apply in your location. The problem with having a quorum together is that if it's a de facto Meeting, it requires advance public notice. So a quorum of members could share a taxi if they published a public notice of intent. But then the entire town would have to be allowed to ride in that taxi, limo, bus?

Thanks. Fixed.

Besides, discussing things you don't own is not against the law. I do it all the time. It would be different if you had voted to dig it up. And even then, you would not change the minutes. You would simply rescind or declare the motion null and void.

Yes, we're not told whether the body properly voted to hold a roll call vote, or whether by rule or custom such votes are the norm. But I believe that even if a roll-call vote was held by mistake, that any Point of Order against it would no longer be timely at this point.

No. In general, bylaws may not be suspended. Rules that are clearly in the nature of rules of order are suspendible even if included in the bylaws, but eligibility requirements for membership are definitely not in this category.

If the vote was held by roll call, then the names and votes must be recorded in the minutes. That's the whole point of a roll-call vote. But Robert's Rules prohibits Zoom meetings entirely unless they're authorized in your bylaws, so in that case there would be no minutes and no valid votes, since there would have been no meeting. But if your bylaws permit Zoom meetings, then roll call votes would definitely be included in the minutes.

What is the nature of this "interpretation"? It's not clear a dispute actually exists at this point. Presumably the language of the motion was properly recorded. There seems to have been no opportunity for "interpreting" it yet. Was there?

Yes, all members have the right to attend meetings of the society (i.e., Membership meetings.) Only board members have the right to attend board meetings. Only committee members have the right to attend committee meetings., Etc....

If it was adopted, then no, it can't be introduced again, but it can be Rescinded or Amended, as long as it hasn't been carried out yet. For adoption, these motions require any of the following: 1. a two-thirds vote; or 2. a majority vote if previous notice of intent was provided; or 3. A vote of a majority of the entire membership including absentees. If it was not adopted then yes it can be reintroduced ("renewed") at the next meeting or other future meeting.

It depends on exactly what your bylaws say on the matter. What do the rules say about the qualifications for a committee district representative.

No, it's not "okay" to do it, since it obviously makes it hard to find, and that's a problem. It should be moved. But that doesn't change the fact that such a rule is enforceable, even if it's in the wrong place.

I'd advise against it because of the problems you noted and others that are around the corner. If Board members want to understand what the committee is up to, let them read its reports.

I agree. While messing up the minutes of the Altoona Fancy Cat Club might not raise an eyebrow, falsifying the records of a public body, or conspiring to do so, is something that that I would hesitate to be involved in.